‘Wake Up to War’: Islamic State Supporters Urge Revenge Attacks After Finsbury Park

Supporters of Islamic State are calling for Muslims to rise up and conduct revenge attacks on Christians and Jews after a white-British man targeted Muslims in the Finsbury Park terror attack.

A channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, called ‘War News – Ummah News’, known for supporting Islamic State, said a “war” was starting in the West.

The messages, reported by terrorism analyst Michael Smith, read: “Oh Muslimeen when your brothers took revenge on the crusader nationals for the slaughter they are carrying out on the Muslims, they were shot on site by the British Police.

“Then how come the Police never shot a Kaafir [non-Muslim/infidel]. Oh Muslims you need to wake up the war is starting now in your own streets outside your own Masajids.

“Your elders could be killed, your sisters could be attacked. Oh Muslims, the Prophet said Jews and Christians will always hate you.”

The messages may imply a difference in treatment of terror suspects depending on their religion after the man believed to be behind the Finsbury Park attack was not shot dead by police. The London Bridge killers in contrast — who were armed and wore fake suicide belts — were shot by specialist police teams.

UPDATE Example of posts re Finsbury Park incident on pro-Islamic State Telegram channels following suggestions the driver is not a Muslim pic.twitter.com/oSBJ5T8Otl

Monday night, the Finsbury Park attacker was identified as Darren Osborne, a 47-year-old white father of four who was living in South Wales. According to associates and neighbours, he was an aggressive man who had demonstrated disdain for Muslims.

Terror experts said the rare, almost unique, terror attack by a non-Muslim targeting Muslims could do more to anger and inspire radical Islamist terrorists than previous attacks.

Peter Neumann, a professor at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King’s College London, toldThe Times:

“In one of the last issues of their online magazine, [Islamic State] spoke of ‘eliminating the grey zone’, which means total polarisation of society, with Muslims seeing Isis as their defenders, and the rest of society looking at all Muslims as Isis supporters.

“In many ways, setting off this kind of vicious circle – provoking an overreaction, and triggering cycles of violence that lead to polarisation – is what terrorism is all about.”

Islamic State supporters were quick to celebrate the London Bridge terror attacks, and the group’s official magazine has urged jihadists and sympathisers to wage an “all-out war” in the West during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.